How Typical.

The following scenario requires a little background detail, so here goes.

I'm sitting at my desk at work this afternoon, and Mr. Boss Man (Jeff) walks in and asks us if we took care of a situation with a client. I had been gone earlier in the morning for a dentist appointment, so I had no idea what he was talking about. He then turns his attention to my co-worker, Diana, who says that she wasn't aware of this problem of sorts, but will take care of it in a minute.

Jeff then goes on to say something about "Well, he called about this before. How could you not know? I didn't even do the job and I remembered." Note condescending attitude. He supposedly remembers everything. In a nutshell, he's one of those people who's never wrong and always has an explanation for whatever might happen.

Anyway, he walks away, and now Diana's pissed off because of his attitude. I'm not happy either.

Side note: Jeff has a good friend, Abdul, who's been doing a lot of music work with him over the last few months. Mind you, Abdul is a very peaceful, kind-hearted guy who would never give anyone an attitude...

The following scenario occurs when Jeff comes back into the room a while later:

Diana: Why did you come in here with an attitude before?
Jeff: What attitude? I didn't have an attitude.
D: Yes, you did. I explained to you that [the situation] wasn't taken care of because there were no notes in the system saying that he wanted [said request], and you gave me an attitude.
J: That wasn't an attitude. It was more like an 'I can't believe you didn't know that' response.
D: Well, it didn't seem that way to me.

[Irrelevant banter continues]

D: You bitch.
J [surprised]: What? Did you just call me a bitch?
D: Yes! I call [her husband] that too when he gets all attitude-y.
J: I'm not a bitch! Abdul's a bitch. He just spent 2 hours talking on the phone with his friend this morning! What a girl!


And so goes another wonderful interaction at work... :shakes head:

Always Irreplaceable.

I think too many people say that everything can be replaced. I disagree. What about family? What about friends? What about dreams we've had since we were kids? Or, for that matter, what about any dreams? If they ever meant anything, then they shouldn't be replaceable; they should be irreplaceable.

It's different to go through the "growing up" stage and abandoning your dream of being in a band to be a social worker. On the other hand, the more significant promises like "best friends forever" are always tougher to let go of. I did it in middle school and high school. But it's true - the first time is the hardest. It's not easy to feel replaceable.

So I figure that the best promise to make is one that I make to myself instead of someone else who would have the power to invalidate it at any point.

That promise? Be always irreplaceable.

Be among the few who are consistently true to their own values, family, and friends, and who work toward their goals instead of just leaving them written on a piece of paper that goes unnoticed. Stand up for yourself. Believe in yourself. But do the same for others. Remember that there's a difference between supporting someone and being a doormat. Know that other people do not make you important or special. You do that for yourself. If the day comes that a friend or close family member makes a major lifestyle change that you're not a part of, you'll wish that you had more of your own life plans. Make your plans and work toward them before that happens.

Don't always expect other people to consider your feelings - consider your own. I'm not advocating selfishness, but practicality and forward thinking.

And stop dreaming of living this way; actually live it. You might be replaceable to others, but you're irreplaceable to yourself. You are the only person who can live your life. That's what's not replaceable.